2012-11-17 — /travelprnews.com/ — Ryanair, today (16 Nov) condemned the Govt-owned DAA airport monopoly’s proposed price increases for 2013 which include;
– increases in summer landing and passenger charges
– increases in remote stand passenger charges
– a 36% increase in wheelchair charges
as unacceptable and irresponsible in the light of Dublin Airport’s record low traffic figures and the Govt’s much vaunted commitment to “The Gathering” in 2013.
Since traffic at Dublin Airport has fallen over the last five years from 23m in 2007 to 18m in 2011, despite the opening of the DAA’s €1.2bn T2, these latest price increases are unjustified at a time when Ireland’s air passenger numbers and visitor numbers are operating at five year lows.
The fact that the Govt is promoting “The Gathering” as its main tourism initiative in 2013, but has failed to address the lack of seat capacity growth, and has now stood idly by while its own airport monopoly raises prices to further gouge visitors in 2013 suggests that the “Gathering” is a sham.
Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:
“There is no justification for the Govt owned DAA monopoly, at a time of recession and record low passenger numbers, further increasing the already high charges at Dublin Airport in 2013. These price increases, at a time when Minister Varadkar is calling on everyone to support “The Gathering” in 2013, shows that the Dept of Transport and the DAA haven’t changed their high charging ways. Instead of lowering airport charges to support “The Gathering”, the DAA, backed up by the DOT, are yet again raising the already high prices at Dublin Airport even further in 2013.
It’s no secret that Dublin Airport’s charges are among the highest in Europe. They have already been described by Aer Lingus as “insane” and by Etihad Airways as “too excessive”. Minister Varadkar, to support “The Gathering”, should be calling on the DAA monopoly to lower its airport charges in 2013, not raise them.
These DAA proposed price increases in 2013 show that “The Gathering” is yet another vacuous tourism initiative by Govt under which visitors will again be ripped off by the Govt’s own airport monopoly as they set foot in the country ”
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